[lbo-talk] literacy

[Jose Rodriguez & Sally Everson]

It always seemed to me that the upper middle class needs to be highly
skilled, trained and/or intellectual in order to maintain their social
positions or improve them, while the elites rely on their social
contacts --like well, GW.  Wasn't it posted here that his Dad was just
average on the IQ test as well? Someone like Billy Boy OTOH had to scheme
his way to the top didn't he?
I do not think human capacity for intellectual work / literacy has changed
much over time: it seems like those who need to develop it in a certain
area, would and do.
Do the majority of the people in the US have any great need to be
politically saavy or highly literate in the traditional sense? It doesn't
seem like it. Things seem to go on pretty much the same whether you care
about world/national/state/local politics or not for most people. But in
other places (like here in Puerto Rico) it perhaps is still important that
the average person understands whats going on at least locally and perhaps
even at a state level. A change of party in power here can change quite a
lot -- from University president down to work brigades painting public
schools and cafeteria workers. Though recent polls show that political scene
is changing on the island - voting trends and interest in politics among
younger people is way down. But I wonder if once they get into the workforce
fulltime that could change dramatically since every workplace is said to be
politically charged. That is not to say we don't have our
actors-turned-legislators - money and popularity gets you very far today,
indeed.

Sally Everson

-----Original Message-----
From: lbo-talk-admin at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-admin at lbo-talk.org]On
Behalf Of jeffrey fisher
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 2:14 PM
To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] literacy

On Monday, October 20, 2003, at 02:06 PM, Miles Jackson wrote:


>
>
> On Mon, 20 Oct 2003, Dennis Perrin wrote:
>
>> I mean, what kind of corporate social order would want to encourage
>> independent thinking at the grade school or middle school levels? The
>> kids are to be shaped as either manager bees or worker bees, which is
>> why any attempt at the college level to break free of this mindset is
>> attacked by the right as "politicizing" the academy, etc.
>>
>> DP
>
> I'd like to argue just the opposite: a thriving capitalist society
> requires independent and innovative thought and action.  True,
> lots of deskilling, but also increasing pressure to think of
> new, profitable ways of doing things.  --Granted, that
> innovative frame of mind does not always apply when people
> are thinking about capitalism, but capitalism definitely
> incites individuality and innovation.

among the elite, there is probably some truth to this (would W be a
counter-example?). but i'm not sure it applies across the board.

and don't we have to admit some conflict here within capitalism? a
desire for innovation, on the one hand, and efficient execution on the
other; freewheeling paradigm-busting, on the one hand, and
auto-industry/microsoft/riaa-esque entrenchment and stifling of
innovation and new business models, on the other?

j

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